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A blog dedicated to the archaeology of Jess Franco's films and discussion of cult, arthouse, classic, genre and sometimes mainstream films from around the world. Send your reviews to the new email posted below and I will post them or comment below each blog. BLOG CREATED, MODERATED AND EDITED BY ROBERT MONELL: Est. July 2006. The written content of all posts (excepting quotes from reviews, books, other publications) COPYRIGHT ROBERT MONELL and the authors.CONTACT: renegovar@yahoo.comArt Direction/Blog Design: Kimberly Lindbergs

VISIT ROBERT MONELL'S CINEMADROME!

WATCH THE ORIGINAL SCI-FI HORROR WEB SERIES RETURN OF THE BLOODSUCKING NAZI ZOMBIES! on NECRONOMICON OF THE LIVING DEAD!

CINEMADROME is an offshoot of this blog: hosted by yuku for further public discussions of Jess Franco films, European Trash Cinema, Giallo films, Fantastique, Horror cinema from around the world, B movies, International Arthouse cinema, Expanded cinema, Hollywood classics, new and vintage DVD reviews, my online cinema diary, place for rants and general reflections on movies, culture, Chat Topics and much more...Special illustrated essays, videos, images & new DVD/ VIDEO reviews will be added regularly regarding films from all genres.

The Girl with Red Lips is an rather obscure 1986 erotic thriller featuring two iconic Jess Franco characters. The Girl of the title is Terry Morgan, a female PI, aka The Red Lips, a reference to the female detective duo which fronted such titles as LABIOS ROJOS (the ultra-rare 1960 B&W title which is still MIA in terms of availability on VHS, grey market video or DVD anywhere), BESAME MONSTRUO and EL CASO DE LAS DOS BELLEZAS (both 1967). The film is narrated by none other than Al Pereira (Antonio Mayans) the director's favorite male PI, who also plays a supporting part in the film. Perhaps he should have been the focus since the adventures of our red lipped heroine are rather complicated and uninteresting, requiring long expository stretches of dialogue to move the action forward, or rather around in circles. Spanish speakers may get more out of this, but after several viewings this non-Spanish speaker still couldn't make out what was happening from one moment to the next.

As the above cap illustrates the "plot" involves the frantic search for a missing jewel, sought by a wealthy Emir as well as Terry Morgan, her partner, several other groups and Al Pereira. Al's voice-over mentions Perry Mason as well as other legendary investigators, but the lack of "action", both in terms of violence, movement and eroticism, sends the film on a downward spiral from which it never recovers. The action appears to be set on the Costa del Sol and in North Africa, but most of it unfolds in hotel rooms or crowed night clubs. The best scene occurs right at the very beginning when a car traveling down a dark highway crashes because the driver has been distracted by the sight of the female PI, suddenly illuminated in the middle of the road, flashing her nudity as she opens her long trench coat. A typical "Jess Franco" moment. If only there were more of them.
Jess Franco's neon illuminated Nightclub World in La Chica de los Labios Rojos...

Franco is always more effective in creating erotic/psychological/menacing atmosphere through visuals, music and sound rather than dialogue/conventional exposition. The female PI also performs as a trumpet player in a smoky nightclub, which is a nice touch considering the director's musical background and his consistent focus on musician characters (cf VENUS IN FURS). But that's about it outside of the music score, mostly made up of familiar cues from 1960s and 70s Jess Franco thrillers. Lina Romay is watchable as always, even in her blonde "Candy Coster" wig, and Antonio Mayans is always a welcome presence, especially playing Al Pereira.
The Red Lips PI duo would reappear as the Red Silk in the 1998 ONE SHOT Jess Franco digital era production SEDA ROJA.

24 March, 2014

[ A VINTAGE REVIEW FIRST PUBLISHED ON MHVF in 2000; Thanks to John Charles]Produced by One Shot Productions/Draculina Cine Directed and Written by Jess Franco
Photography: Raquel Cabra
Music: Jess Franco
Cast: Lina Romay (Mari-Cookie), Analia Ivars, Linnea Quigley,
Michelle Bauer (Sheriff), Robert King, Peter Temboury, Amber Newman.
During
the Spanish conquest of Europe a pregnant woman is raped by a
conquistador. Shortly afterwards, a tarantula enters the woman and
deposits its eggs. The spawn is a mutant female who transforms into a
lethal spider when sexually aroused. Centuries later, in present day
Spain an erotic dancer performs in a bizarre persona, "the killer
tarantula." After her shows she picks up willing victims who will end up
entangled in an awesome, tortuous web back at her lair. A local Sheriff
(Michelle Bauer) becomes attracted to the performer while investigating
the disappearances of several club patrons. Meanwhile, the distraught
mother (Linnea Quigley) of a wayward stripper (Amber Newman) seeks out
her daughter. All will eventually bear witness to the seductive powers
of the mysterious creature.
Women in The Web....A
squiggly, green title announces "An Outrageous Film by Jess Franco," as
if his long time fans needed to be primed for this softcore horror
fantasia. The focus is on kinky sex and elements of deliberate
self-parody are constantly popping up. The spider-woman motif goes all
the way back to the director's 1961 pastel-colored musical VAMPIRESAS
1930 and Estella Blain in the classic MISS MUERTE (1965). The naked,
tormented half alive bodies of victims hanging in the awesome web
festooned across the tarantula's living room, the sado-erotic arachnid
rubber-gear, the obsessed audience at the club, are all images which
continue Franco's career long obsession with Performance.

The eye
popping visual design of glittering colors and outre costumes hold sway
during the extended sexual encounters between Romay and everyone else in
the cast. Even such risible effects as the inflatable tarantula with a
human face seems a reasonable synapse and bears comparison with the
mutations in the 1950's version of THE FLY.

Lina Romay performs with
enthusiasm and humor, though her physical appearance is somewhat at odds
with the requirements of her role. She easily manages to upstage
American scream queens Bauer and Quigley, although Bauer's
Sheriff-outfit of black leather jacket, fedora, g-string and boots is
something to behold. Linnea Quigley's outfit is even more scanty, but both scream queens camp it up in style and amp up the dubious entertainment value. It all ends with the classic Fu Manchu threat, the
world will hear from her again. In the spirit of the old Warner's
cartoons there's a final imprint of "That's All Folks!"(C) Robert Monell, 2014

19 March, 2014

To commemorate the first anniversary of the passing of Jess Franco... Mathis Vogel and myself have decided to present a limited release of our new science fiction-horror film, ZOMBIE 2024 on April 2, 2014. The films and characters created by Jess Franco were influential in the creation of this unique, visually stunning, mind boggling experience...

12 March, 2014

Thanks to Alex Mendibil, the creator of the EL FRANCONOMICON blog and FACEBOOK page, for discovering and posting these images and this information about a favorite Jess Franco shooting location from the mid 1960s onward. I'm copying it over here with Alex's permission for our blog readers. As he notes, films such as THE GIRL FROM RIO, VAMPYROS LESBOS, MIL SEXOS TIENE LA NOCHE. and many others, had various interiors and exterior scenes shot in the clubs, hallways, patios, cafes, shopping centers, hotel rooms/balconies, swimming areas, shops and lobbies of this complex. I'll be posting more on this location, which in in Murcia.[RM}

[Below: Alex Mendibil's original EL FRANCONOMICON post on FACEBOOK]

One of the most used locations in Jess Franco universe found at last!
The first town planning and infrastructure works were carried out in two phases:
- Phase 1 (1963-1964) : Work begins on the Gran Vía, the adjacent road
or Cubanitos Bungalows Type III, Screen Studies, Urbanization Marysol,
Jupiter Tower, Bungalows Type I and II, and Quinta Avenida, Miramar and
Set Hex Complex, known as Black Tower, which was a milestone in the
Region of Murcia because it offered a new way of life, through a second home to enjoy a great vacation.
- Phase 2 (1964-1965) : the Bungalows Type I and II, Screen Studies
were completed and the works of the type III Bungalows, Hotel Entremares
and Entremares Mall began.

[After reading this I revisited Franco's 1968, TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS, in which this scene appears featuring a view of a large swimming pool which looks very much like the one pictured in the complex in the above photos]

One of the most used locations in Jess Franco universe found at last!
The first town planning and infrastructure works were carried out in two phases:
- Phase 1 (1963-1964) : Work begins on the Gran Vía, the adjacent road
or Cubanitos Bungalows Type III, Screen Studies, Urbanization Marysol,
Jupiter Tower, Bungalows Type I and II, and Quinta Avenida, Miramar and
Set Hex Complex, known as Black Tower, which was a milestone in the
Region of Murcia because it offered a new way o...See more